


The Raven and The Valkyrie

by MagnoliaMuse



Series: Nights in the the Oasis of Light [3]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Fairy Tale Retellings, Raindancer Fareeha "Pharah" Amari, Sigrún - Freeform, Valkyrie Angela "Mercy" Ziegler
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 04:02:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13673865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagnoliaMuse/pseuds/MagnoliaMuse
Summary: The Sultan and the Storyteller were alone. “I’ve missed you,” she said, her right hand tangled in his tunic, her left holding his, and her head tucked under his chin.“Would you like to hear a story?” he asked, his other hand moving her hair behind her ear.“What story would you tell me,” she said. He could hear her smiling.“A story of love,” he said.“Do you know stories of anything else?” she teased him.“Of course, Sultan. Would you like to hear one?”“No. What is the love story you’d tell me?”“It is the story of a raven and a valkyrie…”A retelling of Sigrún and Helgi from the Poetic Edda <3





	The Raven and The Valkyrie

The Sultan and the Storyteller were alone.

“I’ve missed you,” she said, her right hand tangled in his tunic, her left holding his, and her head tucked under his chin.  

“Would you like to hear a story?” he asked, his other hand moving her hair behind her ear.

“What story would you tell me,” she said. He could hear her smiling.

“A story of love,” he said.

“Do you know stories of anything else?” she teased him.

“Of course, Sultan. Would you like to hear one?”

“No. What is the love story you’d tell me?”

“It is the story of a raven and a valkyrie…”

* * *

 

The Valkyrie are the ones who decide who lives and who dies on the battlefield. They are the choosers of the slain. They lift those they find worthy up to the heavens to wait until they are called. And when they are called they will fight by the gods at the end of days.

One particular night a troop of Valkyrie rode across the sky. Their horses were trembling and from their manes, dew fell into the deep valleys, good fortune springing from wherever it fell.

A raven watched them chase across the sky, her eye catching the one in the lead - her yellow hair flying like sunlight from under her hemet. And the Raven fell in love. But the Raven was just a raven and knew she could not win the Valkyrie. The Raven, however, would not give up so easily and so she began to plan. She joined the Valkyries with others of her kind: ravens who flew alongside the Valkyries, riding with them to relay messages and help guide the chosen.

This way, she was at least able to be close to the Valkyrie. To even be near her was a mercy she didn’t think she’d ever get the chance to have. And for a while the Raven was content with just being near her. She became her Valkyrie’s - Mercy’s - confidant and guardian. The Raven would fly close to her shoulder occasionally teasing the horse as they moved. She would tell Mercy jokes when they stopped to rest. She would give her little treasures she found as they traveled.  But the Raven never told Mercy how she felt. She let it hide inside her heart every day causing her more and more pain. Being so close to Mercy slowly became unbearable for the Raven.

So she fled.

She flew far away from Mercy, following the suggestions of her fellows, to someone who could help her. A storm grew and the skies opened, rain and lightning pouring from above. But the Raven pushed on until her feathers were soaked and she could barely move. A gust of wind came from the east, knocking into her and sending her tumbling from the sky.

When she awoke it was to the sound of a fire. The man she’d sought, the trickster, sat nearby his hair almost matching in color to the flames.

“You are far from your home, little raven,” he said, poking at the fire. “What are you doing way out here?

“I am looking for you,” she said, her voice sore.

“And why is that?”

“You are a shapeshifter, please teach me to become human.”

“And why do you want to become a human, little one?” he asked, his eyes obviously knowing the answer.

“I love Mercy but I stand no chance with her as a raven.”

“Humans also stand little chance with Valkyrie,” he reminded her.

“Still, it is all I can hope for.”

“Hm,” he said thinking for a moment, his eyes twinkling in the light. He abandoned his stick in the fire. “ I will teach you to change your from between human and raven, but in return you must do me a favor.”

 _Anything_  is what the raven wished to say but knowing to whom she spoke, instead she asked, “What is your favor?” The trickster smiled.

“War is brewing between two kingdoms: already the gods are staking their claims on those who may fall. My brother - your king - and I are eyeing the same man, a mortal king. However, my brother lets the valkyrie choose his fallen and has first choice, whereas I do not. So my dear raven, who has the confidence of the valkyrie who will choose the fallen, have Mercy pick the other king so that I may claim the one my brother desires.”

The raven considered his words before answering. “Is that all?”

“You may not speak of our bargain to anyone but otherwise yes, that is all.”

“What is so special about this man that makes you both want him?”

“Nothing, but my brother wants him, and I want to frustrate my brother, he said, a sly smile growing across his face.

“Alright,” she agreed, “I will do it.”

“Excellent,” the trickster said before leaning close to her and whispering the secret to her.“Go on, try it,” he said and the Raven did.

She watched the trickster as he watched her change, delight in his eyes. Gone was the raven and in her place stood a woman with hair as black as raven wings and dark eyes like midnight.

“Wonderful, little raven.” He crowed. “Now hurry home to your Valkyrie.”

The Raven opened her mouth to speak but found she could not.

“Oh yes. It will take some time to adjust but you will master it.” The Raven returned her her original form, frustrated that the trickster had not warned of her of that but she didn’t say anything. Instead she started back home, the trickster reminding her of their deal as she flew away.

She did not reveal her new skill once she returned to Mercy. Instead she decided to gain control over her human self first and so whenever she could, she slipped away to practice. But her voice still didn’t come in her new form, much to her frustration.

One day, she became so engrossed in her practice that she didn’t hear someone approaching her.

“And who are you?” a voice spoke from behind as she tried to speak. She turned to see Mercy behind her, smiling sweetly. She opened her mouth to reply but still could make no sound. So instead she shook her head.

“You have no name?” Mercy asked and the Raven nodded.

“Then I shall call you Pharah, for light, she said and at last the Raven… Pharah found her voice.

“Thank you,” she said. And Mercy smiled again before giving a little wave and mounting her horse and leaving the Raven.

And then the day came and two armies marched into battle the Valkyries and their companions, hovering above invisible to the mortal men.

The Raven watched the two kings face each other and she watched as the two kings struck each other down falling to the ground. Mercy and the Raven dove down to lay claim them on one of them. One king had fair skin and yellow hair and one was tanned with dark curls. The raven landed on the shoulder of the fair skinned man.

“This is the one our king wants, this is the one who has earned a seat at his table.” And Mercy trusted her, lifting the man from the field and carrying him away. The Raven looked back to the other man and already the trickster was spiriting him away. They carried the earthly king to the heavens, to the hall where he will wait - before the king who had not sent for him.

Confusion bloomed in Mercy’s face as he screamed at her, his voice booming through the halls.

“You brought me the wrong man,” he fumed and Mercy, not wanting the Raven to bear his wrath, took responsibility. “I am sorry, but I thought this man was more worthy,” she said. She was lying, the Raven knew, both men where equals.

Their king stood and crossed to The Valkyrie.

“For failing me in this I strip you of your divinity and cast you down to earth as a mortal.” With a flick of his hand the hall faded and Mercy was falling, falling, falling to the earth. The Raven dove after her, latching onto her and falling with her. In an instant she changed into her human form.

“I’m sorry, this is my fault,” she said as they fell, tears flying from her eyes. She couldn’t fly in this form and she couldn’t carry Mercy as a raven. They crashed to the ground.

Pharah, being more than mortal, is merely in pain from the fall. Mercy, however, hovers close to her end.

“I’m sorry. I love you” she said as Mercy smiled,

“I know,” Mercy said, “I knew who you were when I named you. I knew you were my raven. Don’t blame yourself, I made my decision about the two kings before you spoke.” And then she fell silent.

The Raven lifted the Valkyrie made mortal and began walking. She did not stop until she’d carried her to the place where all souls that the Valkyrie did not claim rested. She was granted an audience with the Queen who resided there, who smiled sympathetically when she saw the Raven made human carrying the broken once-Valkyrie.

“I am sorry,” she said when Pharah begged her to bring her back. “There is nothing I can do for you now. But do know you will find each other again.”

“How?” the Raven demanded, her voice broken. The Queen moved to take the Valkyrie from her, but Pharah refused so instead the Queen gestured to a table.

“Lay her there and I will show you,” she said. The Raven hesitated for a moment but ultimately  did as she was asked, her hand lingering on Mercy’s cheek for a moment.

“Come,” the Queen said, and Pharah obeyed. She placed her hands on Pharah’s cheeks and everything changed,the grey land faded into white and then the Raven saw a strange land of sand and blue sky. She saw a city rising from the desert the hot sun bleaching the buildings.  She saw a Sultan who wove light and she saw a scared nomad. She saw the land they’d travel to together, she and the Sultan, in search of the nomad. And she saw a strange court. And she saw...the Valkyrie. She saw Mercy smile at her, she saw their future. And in an instant it was over.  She was back in the grey land.

“You will find each other again,” the Queen said smiling.

“No matter what?” Pharah asked.

“No matter what. It is already woven into the tapestry. Your souls are tied together for eternity.”

“Then please make me forget this life, I can’t live knowing she is out of my reach.”

“I will, little Raven, if you promise to keep me company here, until you rejoin the world.”

“I will,” she promised and the Queen kissed her forehead and she forgot everything.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to my the wonderful [doctorchaseyholmes](http://archiveofourown.org/users/doctorcaseyholmes/pseuds/doctorcaseyholmes) whom I've dragged into this fandom, for the emergency proofread. 
> 
> MRL
> 
> This story is one part me wanting to write something for Valentine's day one part me wanting to vent about Mercy.It was also inspired by a stunning work by [Shiftystorm](http://shiftystorm.tumblr.com/post/169985149326/guardian-for-an-angel). This picture has haunted my mind's eye for weeks now maybe know that this is written I can think of something else
> 
> I apologize for it being bittersweet but if you've read part two you know the Queen wasn't lying. 
> 
> I mentioned at the end of Tam Lin that there was a reason Mercy was taken by the Fairy Queen I figured being a re-incarnated Valkyrie with a soulmate woven into the very fabric of the universe is a good enough reason.  
> Also all the characters mentioned I imagine as specific characters in OW but I wanted to keep the focus on Pharah and Mercy, have fun imagining who's who.


End file.
